Here’s hoping red tape doesn't stick

Back in May, it was announced that the Townsville City Council was set to amend the City Plan in order to remove red tape, making it easier to develop in the region. This is no small thing – anecdotes from people over the years expressed frustration at the difficulty of getting things done in this town, the most memorable when one of the original bungee jump blokes dropped into the Bulletin office to tell us of his proposal to set up here, saying incredulously of the Council, ‘They weren’t interested!’

But Cairns was, and last year AJ Hackett not only celebrated their

30th birthday there, but launched their new entity, Skypark.

In 2016 a temporary zipline was set up by Professional Association of Climbing Instructors members on Castle Hill, which proved a hit with locals, but a headache for operators; with one saying it took about six months for Townsville City Council to approve the activity,

“We’d actually given up,” he said. “At one point we just threw our hands up in the air, but when it was approved, we did a little dance.

Our permit conditions are very strict as you are not to install anything that is of a permanent nature.”

Three years later, this time branded as Castle Hill Adventures, the group’s temporary zipline once again thrilled locals and visitors alike, with operator Mark Gommers saying: “We set it up in the morning and then take it down at the end of the day.”

That something can be set up repeatedly, but not permanently, is perhaps the perfect definition of red tape.

In July, the proposed Townsville Technology Precinct (pictured) that would transform the unique historic railyards into an IT Software Development Centre, was scrapped.

What started out as an original idea and an innovative design that incorporated the history and the heritage of the area vapourised, with our Mayor immediately defaulting to the easy ‘high density housing’ option, so, too did the Townsville Enterprise chief executive when speaking of the area opposite the stadium.

Multiple, ongoing Council rates must be hard to resist, but is that the extent of our aspiration?

Other regions are capitalising on both visitors and ‘experiences’, like the Yeppoon Council in Central Queensland.

A prototype wave park is to be expanded with approvals for camping and glamping sites, cabins, a restaurant, a learn to surf lagoon, skate park, scuba pool, and solar farm.

Stage two will include an aqua park, boutique hotel, and village green, and it is expected to become one of the biggest tourist attractions in Queensland, with between 100,000 and 300,000 visitors annually.

But while our Council might be blinkered in the vision department, the stunning proposal this week by Brissy outfit Flinders Street Wharves to turn the old Santa Fe building and former Bullwinkles nightclub into an entertainment precinct on the water, and preserve rather than destroy the heritage aspect; is something they should get pretty excited about.

There’s only so many artist impressions a town can take.

Let’s hope the only Council red tape these developers encounter is the ribbon they’ll be cutting on opening night.